Discharge lamps with a mercury fraction in the discharge medium have long been known and are the subject of intensive development work. It is known in particular to introduce mercury into the lamp in the form of an amalgam addition. On account of its relatively high vapor pressure at the temperatures which are encountered and on account of the efficiency with which UV is generated in discharge media with a mercury fraction, mercury is especially suitable for these applications and is therefore in widespread use. If mercury is introduced in the form of amalgams, a range of technical criteria need to be taken into account and complied with, in particular the stability and mechanical handling properties and/or consistency of the amalgam, as well as the vapor pressures in the temperature range in question.